


How You and I Became We

by hypersugarroxy



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M, Memories, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-03 00:37:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4079899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypersugarroxy/pseuds/hypersugarroxy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of memories on how Alfred found his way to the altar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How You and I Became We

_Alfred typed “NGE” into his Omegle interests and pressed enter to join video chat. He had a few good conversations (and a few guys disconnecting quickly when they realized he had no breasts) but nothing would ever top that one._

“Here,” said a quiet voice behind Alfred, who jumped and turned around. His stepbrother Matthew gave him a sort of half-amused, half-pitying look as he approached and took the ends of Alfred’s undone bow tie in his hands.

“I’d practiced.”

“These are hard, more so when it’s your own, more so when you’re nervous -”

“I’m not -”

“And more so when your fingers are hopped up on morning caffeine, I saw you. It’s fine. I’m sure if I undid mine right now and let you tie it, you could do it. Al, no,” Matthew said as Alfred reached up for his brother’s tie, “no, we’re on a -” he cut short, the bow coming undone and the fabric that was the bow hanging limply around his neck. “Rigid schedule.”

They both stared at it for a few seconds.

“I can fix it.”

“Al, no.”

“No, really -!”

“We don’t have time! The ceremony is at noon and we still have to pick up my date! I’ll just…I’ll fix it when we get there.”

_He said his name was Kiku, he was twenty-one, he lived just outside Nagoya and he liked practicing his English in live chat rooms. Alfred tactlessly said he noticed it was a bit broken, and two apologies followed: one from Kiku for the brokenness and one from Alfred for “being douchey about it”._

_He was farther along in the manga than Al. He kept stopping himself short of spoilers._

_He was also very pretty, Alfred noticed about five minutes into the chat. Sure there was a small gap in his teeth, but that just added to the picture. Who wanted to be flawlessly pretty, anyway? Then you just look generic. Flaws were cute, in Alfred’s opinion._

_So were absent habits. His black hair fell in his black eyes; he kept brushing the bangs out of the way. Alfred giggled every time he did until Kiku finally asked what was so funny. Al just shook his head. Maybe it was just cute on Kiku._

_3am came around quickly when discussing manga with attractive men. A random glance at the clock in the corner of the screen told Alfred a 9:30 class was going to be brutal. He asked for Kiku’s email and then bid him good night; he knew what he’d be doing tomorrow during lecture.._

Alfred silently wished Matt’s boyfriend wasn’t so…stern and scary. The man towered over them both but had an oddly warm smile for Matt. Al kept catching glances of the man (What was his name…? Something like “yawn”. Al couldn’t remember) in the side view mirror.

“Hey, Mattie.”

Matt groaned at the nickname and asked “What?”

“You ever wonder why wedding processions don’t get flags to run red lights like funerals do?”

“Because there’s no such thing as a wedding procession?”

“There isn’t?”

“Alfred…”

_Most of their conversations started out as Alfred casually asking what  Kiku was reading, and Kiku playing along awkwardly until Alfred finally came out with “How’s everything going?”_

_The duo had exchanged phone numbers after a month of correspondence, and once a week without fail, Alfred would text Kiku right after class let out and wake him up. Being on opposite sides of the planet made talking difficult._

_“So I’m just gonna have to come over there one of these days!” Alfred texted several times._

_Kiku usually didn’t acknowledge these statements. Which made it all the more special when Alfred received the message, “We’ll meet one day.” after lunch one wintry afternoon._

_Alfred stood in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at his phone, a grin slowly spreading across his face. He put the phone away and started walking cheerily to his next lecture._

_“He digs me.”_

“You still letting Dad walk you down?” Matt said, stifling a giggle as they waited at the last red light.

Alfred rolled his eyes. “I’ll humor him. It might get a laugh. Should have worn a pretty gown to go with it. Think we have time to pull into Party On! or somewhere? I can pick up a plastic tiara.”

“The sarcasm isn’t appreciated. And I don’t think the gesture will be, either. I was joking and I’m pretty sure so was he.”

“No, really. He wants to do me like a bride’s dad -”

“Whoops, we’re here,” Matt said, pulling into the K of C hall.

_Alfred said it first._

_The Skype calls had become more frequent over the summer, as Alfred worked a graveyard shift at the Wal*Mart and could sleep during the day. He kept sending random Snapchats of him stocking or changing signs. Kiku sent back ones of busy city streets and quiet rural areas. Alfred would then insist on talking about them over Skype._

_“More of a ‘landscape’ photographer, I see,” Alfred told him during a late night chat, llokng at another picture of a rural storefront, two cats sitting in front of a basket of unidentifyable fruit._

_“I do not see reason to send pictures of me.”_

_“I like your face, send face pics,” Al laughed. Kiku cracked a smile. “You cut your hair, right?”_

_“Oh,” Kiku said, brushing away nothing. “It o…obt…ob…?”_

_“What?”_

_“Observed my vision. So I cut it.”_

_“'Obscured’?”_

_“Yes, obscured.”_

_“That’s a good word.”_

_The phone beeped obnoxiously. Alfred looked down at the alarm._

_“Oh, hey, my shift’s starting, have to get going. Love you,” Alfred said, waving, not quite realizing what he just said. It didn’t hit him until almost twenty minutes into his shift as he replayed the last minute of conversation._

_“He must hate me…” he mused to himself. “Why did you say that? Idiot!” He slammed a bag of sugar onto its shelf. “How the hell are you supposed to talk to him again?”_

_There was no lead up, no nothing. Alfred didn’t think he ever told Kiku he was gay, and had certainly never heard anything about it from Kiku one way or the other. Maybe he could explain it somehow. Or forget about it._

_It came out so natural, though, and the more he thought about it, the more he wondered how long it had been true, and the more conscious the unconscious feeling became. The more he just…the more he wanted to say it again._

_There’s no need to apologize for love, is there?_

_Alfred texted Kiku on his break. “About that last thing I said”._

_He fiddled with the coffee machine for an excruciatingly long three minutes. The text read “About my hair?”_

_“No. The very last thing. You did hear it, right?” Alfred wasn’t about to hide it. The worst Kiku could say was “no”. And he lived twelve time zones over so all he had to say was “I got moved to day shift” and he wouldn’t have to face it nearly as often._

_The phone vibrated (Alfred kept it down during work) and he opened a message which sent his heart into his throat._

_“Oh. Do you want me to say it back?”_

“I thought you’d bolted,” Alfred’s father said irritably, smoothing his sleeve over a watch he’d obviously been checking obsessively since a half hour before.

“Relax, Dad, we’re only, like…” Alfred took his father’s arm and peered at the watch, “We’re still early!”

“More like 'barely on-time’ if you ask me,” the older man scowled over Matthew’s quiet “Hi, Art.”

“He’s here, right?”

“Of course he is. At least you’re marrying a bloke with a decent sense of s'hedule.”

Alfred cocked a brow and looked at Art. “The move did weird things to you.” Matt slapped his arm lightly.

Alfred looked around for his groom, spotting him off to the side. He felt his heart swell at the sight of him, surrounded by two of his friends, a big blond guy and a bouncy shorter fellow who looked way too excited to be here. Though Alfred couldn’t blame him, he supposed.

_Alfred learned something very, very quickly: the Japanese were not a touchy people._

_He got off the plane and looked around, a rolling suitcase in tow. He’d been planning this greeting the entire ride. It was gonna be super romantic, just like in the movies. They were going to meet each other’s eyes and rush into each other’s arms._

_Unlike the movies, however, he wasn’t going to find Kiku on instinct. In fact…after six or so minutes of looking, he wasn’t quite sure he could spot Kiku at all. He turned airplane mode off on his phone nad texted, “i just landed, where are you?”_

_He received the reply quickly: “You said terminal 73.”_

_Alfred looked up on the board above him. Most of it he couldn’t read (he’d picked up basic words but wasn’t quite ready for character reading), but it plainly read “37”._

_“You sure I said 73? I’m at 37.”_

_The next message was a forwarding. Sure enough, Alfred had sent the wrong number._

_“Heheh ^^;”. “Where should I meet you, then?”_

_“Just stay there.”_

_Alfred picked a bench and waited for a while, watching planes take off. He looked off to the side at an almost-scripted moment and found a shirt he’d seen in a Skype chat worn by a man with hair he’d know anywhere. Alfred sprang to his feet and ran over, proceeded to scoop a much shorter man up in his arms, hugging him tightly._

_When he put Kiku down, he was greeted, not with the happy, excited look he expected, but a sort of uncomfortable, half-affronted, expression._

_“Did I do something wrong?”_

_“Er…” Kiku refused to meet Alfred’s eyes. He looked violated. Alfred wasn’t entirely sure what he did wrong but he knew it had to be something._

_“That’s not a normal way to greet your friends?”_

_“Not…not at our age. And not really anywhere.”_

_“So don’t so it again,” Alfred said, becoming conscious of passers-by’s stares. So they didn’t like witnessing it either_

_“Right.”_

Alfred couldn’t wipe the big, stupid grin off his face as he waited at the end of the aisle in-between four rows of foldable metal chairs. At the end of the aisle stood Matt, a justice, and Kiku’s bouncy friend, all of them looking toward the back off the hall.

Art hooked Al’s arm into his. “Well, we have no wedding march,” he muttered, “may as well start.” He and his son walked arm-in-arm to the end of the aisle.

“It was a throw-away joke, you know,” Art muttered as they walked quickly, Art not wanting to prolong it more than he had to.

“You’re bad at jokes, Pop. Besides, nothing like a small dose of humor in a wedding. Grow a sense, why don’t ya?”

“Not the time." Art unhooked his arm and sat in the front row next to Alfred’s stepfather and one of his younger sons. Alfred stood sideways next to Matthew and watched Kiku come through the back doors and up the aisle on his own. Alfred beamed at his groom. They were so close. Time seemed to slow down in that instant, savory and agonizing at the same time.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kiku made it to the end. He gave Alfred a mirrored gaze and they both turned to the justice, who smiled and started reading her short spiel.

_"Not the most romantic thing I could’ve chosen but…” Alfred shrugged as he walked along the Jersey shoreline, a corn dog in one hand and Kiku’s hand in the other._

_“It’s fine.”_

_“Nice last night for you to be here.” They spoke in short sentences when there wasn’t much to say. By this stage it wasn’t awkward, just…something they did. Alfred hated the silence, anyway. It filled the air. If Kiku was to be believed (and Alfred did) it had stopped bothering him ages ago._

_“The sun is beautiful.”_

_“Should I be corny?” Kiku looked up at Alfred confusedly. “Heh, corn-y,” Alfred giggled, looking at his corn dog like it was the funniest joke he’d heard in days._

_“I don’t get it.”_

_“Oh, I was saying: you said the sun was beautiful, and if I wanted to be cheesy I could’ve been like 'not as beautiful as you’ or something.” Alfred stuffed the corn dog in his mouth. “I kinda pride myself on not building relationships on pickup lines, though, so I’m not gonna say it.”_

_“You just -”_

_“_ I’m not gonna say it _,” Alfred said emphatically. Kiku shook his head and looked out over the coastline at the sun, dyeing the sky and ocean orange._

_“I wish you could stay longer. I love when you’re here. Like when I can see and hear you, I love that, too, but touching you is…is something else.”_

_“I think so, too.”_

_“So, next time, your place or mine?”_

_“If you promise not to do that thing at the airport again.”_

_“Deal.” Alfred stared at the back of Kiku’s head, imploring him telepathically to turn around. When that failed, he said, “Hey,” and shook the hand holding Kiku’s._

_Kiku turned his head._ _“What is it?”_

_Alfred looked off to the side. He didn’t want to ask; he hoped it would be like…that he could just look at Kiku and they’d both just know. But that wasn’t how this worked and he knew it. How long was he going to delude himself into thinking he could create a rom-com romance with this man? It wasn’t what Kiku was interested in, and the more Alfred thought about it, his life wasn’t a movie and he didn’t want that either. Although if someone ever made a movie out of his life, they could just edit that in._

_“Can I…?” he asked abashedly, leaning closer._

_Kiku wasn’t stupid. He looked around; the beach was nearly empty, a small party gathered farther away from where they both stood. It must’ve been a sufficient distance; Kiku nodded gently and leaned in to Alfred’s face…_

They held each other’s hands and faced each other , preparing to say their vows. The couple made eye contact and Kiku began began.

“I’m not sure what I was expecting to happen with my life, but it certainly was not what the last three years were. Talking late at night, subjects moving from small hobbies to daily activity to what we wanted to do with ourselves…I suppose our relationship is nothing special, but it feels like something unique. Something just we have. I used to go online to make conversation with strangers. Maybe I liked the an..ano..anonymity. You made sure not to stay a stranger. If you hadn’t put in so much effort, I probably would have let you fall the way of everyone else. We certainly wouldn’t be here today. You gave me something to look forward to every day. And every day here after. There’s no reason to hide anything when you and I are together.”

_“You’re serious?” Alfred said incredulously, not bothering to hide his surprise._

_“I think it would offer more than where I currently live. Besides, we have to pick one of our countries to live together.”_

_“Ok, but I’m not stopping with the lessons! I’m almost ready to conjugate some verbs, ye-ah!” Alfred yelled, pumping his fist. Kiku bowed his head, trying to hide his laughter._

_“Ok, so, you’re coming over with a green card, I don’t even know how to get one of those…”_

_“It’s no difficult to figure out, it’s qualifying that is the hard part.”_

_“You’ll have no problem, I’m sure of it.”_

_“That’s not up to us,” Kiku said with a wan smile._

_“Yeah, well, green card or no, you have to come over soon, I’m planning a surprise.”_

_“Doesn’t telling me ruin it?”_

_“Not if you don’t know what it is or know when it’s coming! Hey, prof’s here; love you, bye.”_

Alfred took a deep breath, steadying himself.

“I was looking for a discussion on Evangeleon, not a new boyfriend,” he said, followed by nervous laughter from both him and his side of the gathering. “But there isn’t one thing I’d change about that night or any other night I’ve had since. Well, that’s not true. If I’d change anything, I’d have spent far fewer nights sleeping alone, and more next to you. I wouldn’t be standing here if I didn’t want it. From helping you study for naturalization, to the move to a state that would let us gather here today, have this ceremony…this whole ride was wild and bumpy but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Or have anyone else along for it.”

_“Hey, hey, I made cheesy mac!” Alfred announced. Kiku looked up at him exhaustedly from the floor. “Did I wake you?”_

_Kiku yawned, then blatantly lied “No.”_

_“Eh. Breakfast,” he said, showing off the dairy-covered pasta. Kiku sat up sleepily and accepted a bowl._

_“I see you were up later than I was.”_

_“Alfred, you don’t have to take this test.”_

_“Well, got me there. What time is it?”_

_Kiku looked at the clock on the microwave. “Eight.”_

_“No, I meant the te-” Alfred said, cut off by Kiku scrambling to his feet. “Soon, I take it?”_

_“Nine!”_

_“Oh! Well, then,” Alfred said, shoveling a few forkfuls of mac into his mouth and grabbing his coat. “Eat on the way. Won’t quiz you, don’t ask, it’ll just make you nervous. Found that out in college.” He stuck his hand in his pocket, making sure what he left there was still in position. “Ok, let’s go.”_

_A half hour in traffic later and Alfred pulled his beater up to the test area. “You got this,” he said, flashing a thumbs up to Kiku as he got out and ran. Alfred ate his own bowl of mac and waited, listening to the radio and fingering an object in his pocket._

_He wasted four hours in that parking lot listening to stale pop songs. By the time the fourth station started in on “Summertime Sadness”, he decided to wait in silence when the testers let out. Alfred stopped playing with the object and got out of the car._

_“You got the same spot,” Kiku noticed as he approached._

_“Nah, I’ve been idling. How’d you do? Feel confident?”_

_Kiku shrugged. “I suppose.”_

_“Give me a little of it, will ya?” Kiku raised an eyebrow, then quickly raised the other as Alfred took his hand from his pocket. took Kiku’s hand in the other and got down on one knee._

“Do you, Ki…Kiku Honda, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Kiku mouthed the words to Alfred, looking for confirmation they were right, before saying them out loud, “I do take him.”

“And do you, Alfred Jones, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

Resisting the urge to yell, “Fuck yeah” before it, he smiled widely before saying the promise himself: “I do.”

The justice smiled at them both. “By the power invested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you wed.” She stepped back.

A faint sound of polite applause led the couple into their first married kiss. Long and sweet, nothing but the smell of him in Al’s nose and his hands on his wrists. After what could’ve been days but also felt like mere seconds, they broke apart and gazed into each other’s eyes.

“So, they came for a reception,” Alfred said, jerking his head at the family. “Let’s get the party started!” He took Kiku’s hand and they made their way to the other side of the hall together, where more chairs and tables stood waiting for them.

**Author's Note:**

> written for ameripan christmas exchange 2k14 on tumblr


End file.
